1. Mapping
1.1. Problem: Students are having difficulty with understanding the biology concepts presented in class
1.1.1. Issues related to the problem:
1.1.1.1. Biology concepts are extremely dense making it hard for students to grasp the knowledge
1.1.1.2. Students are disconnected from the concepts which impacts learning
1.1.1.3. Use of powerpoint is not adequate for this field of study
1.1.1.3.1. Use of bulleted powerpoint slides can loose the audience quickly resulting in disengagement
1.1.1.4. Inadequate use of class time; 75% lecture and 25% discussion make it difficult to foster true and meaningful discourse
1.1.1.5. Question of resources; how many resources are actually available for student use ?
1.1.2. Questions related to the problem:
1.1.2.1. What activities has Ms.Ellington incorporated with her students to reinforce the biology terms that come up in class?
1.1.2.1.1. What are the student's responsibilities outside of class time?
1.1.2.2. Besides the use of powerpoint, what other tech tools has she used?
1.1.2.2.1. Has Ms. Ellington thought about the use of Concept mapping?
1.1.2.3. If this course meets five times a week, can designate 3 days to lecture and 2 to discussion/lab activities?
1.1.2.3.1. Is there access to a science lab or is there just one classroom?
1.1.2.4. Is there a better way to get the students to learn the concepts other than just lecture led instruction?
2. Timelines
2.1. Problem: Students are having issues with focusing on events. Overflow of media and information that tends to bombard them.
2.1.1. Issues related to problem:
2.1.1.1. Mr. Ostrow seems to be overloading studnets with too much media
2.1.1.1.1. Issues with Breadth versus Depth; dealing with trying to cover too many topics in a given academic year which may cloud the focus of the students
2.1.1.2. Lack of a students connection to the material presented
2.1.1.2.1. Students need to relate to what they are learning and as such Mr. Ostrow needs to make the lessons interesting and relatable
2.1.1.3. Not enough variety with instruction
2.1.1.3.1. Typical format of teaching from the textbook and lack of innovation with weekly assignments
2.1.1.4. Possible issues with polarizing subjects that cause controversy and make students uncomfortable
2.2. Questions related to issue
2.2.1. What tools has Mr. Ostrow used to aid in better absorption of the material?
2.2.1.1. Are technological tools used in the classroom?
2.2.1.1.1. Is it possible to incorporate social media into Mr. Ostrow's rubric?
2.2.2. What steps has Mr. Ostrow taken to prioritize the content?
2.2.3. How does Mr. Ostrow engage his students?
2.2.3.1. Are classes run on the same format during every session?
2.2.4. What is Mr. Ostrow's approach to teaching controversial topics?
3. Presentations
3.1. Problem: Students Not Engaged in Course
3.1.1. Negative feedback received from students
3.2. Issues contributing to Problem
3.2.1. Massive PowerPoint presentations that pack in too much material in a 80 minute lecture
3.2.2. PowerPoint slides spoon-feed information to students; they don't inspire independent thought
3.2.3. Format of lecturing for 40 of the 80 minutes too predictable; students have become accustomed to the format and are bored
3.2.4. Too many Powerpoint slides and there is no interactive content.
3.2.5. Furthermore, the bullet point style of the PowerPoint slides are archaic.The bullet points cause the students to read from top to bottom. As a result of this, students finish reading the slide while the Professor is still talking about the first few items and as such students check out of the material.
3.3. Questions Related to Problem
3.3.1. Why is there a need to handout physical PowerPoint slides of the same material covered in class? Possible issues with redundancy?
3.3.2. What steps have been taken to ensure discourse about the subject matter outside of lecture?
3.3.3. What role do students have in the course besides attending lecture twice a week?
3.3.4. How are the other 40 minutes spent in class? Does the professor encourage some type of discussion or activity in class?
4. Lecture
4.1. Problem: Instructor will be traveling in 1 month which will cause him to miss class. Instructor does not want to cancel class and wants to see what his options are in regards to offering the class remotely.
4.2. Issues Contributing to Problem
4.2.1. First issue is time. Professor Edkin will be traveling in one month and this may not provide enough turnaround time to present viable options for holding his class remotely.
4.2.2. Second Issue: Apprehension towards technology. Offering courses offsite will always require the use of a technological tool. Apprehension towards these tools will pose a challenge to implementing possible solutions.
4.2.3. Third Issue: Besides the apprehension to technology, there seems to be an apprehension to technology in general. Professor Edkins does not like the idea of online discussion as he prefers face to face interaction. Professor Edkins also does not like the idea of curating other resources that may be available on the internet.
4.2.4. Fourth Issue: method of assessment is not necessarily based on test but based on projects. Professor Edkins is concerned that this will not be able to be conducted online because of the nature of his assignments.
4.3. Questions Related to Problem
4.3.1. What is the underlying reason to the apprehension of technology?
4.3.2. Is the Professor open to having brainstorming sessions with the Ed Tech to discuss some possible options and solutions for his course?
4.3.3. Given the fact that professor Edkins is hesitant to curate another person's data from the internet, would he be willing to create his own content for class purposes?
4.3.4. What is the consensus of the students in relation to the missed class? Are they open to an online class session?
4.3.5. If we were to implement technology into this course, would the students be open to an asynchronous or synchronous session ?
5. Discussions
5.1. Problem: Marsha Sinclair, 12th Grade History Teacher is experiencing issues related class discussion. Discussions are difficult and often unproductive.
5.2. Issues contributing to Problem:
5.2.1. Poor Class Time Management: Class is dominated by lecture (75%) leaving 25 % left to discussion which equates to only 10 minutes of discussion time
5.2.2. Class is dominated by a few students who have issues with etiquette
5.2.3. Students arrive to class not prepared to discuss material which could be due to the students expectation that the discussion will only be 10 minutes therefore students may feel preparation is not necessary
5.2.4. Class is not structured in a way that fosters engagement and discussion. Built on the antiquated lecture model that makes the content unrelatable.
5.3. Questions related to Problem:
5.3.1. Is it possible to restructure the format of the course so that lecture and discussion are divided equally?
5.3.2. Are there resources available to help newer teachers work on their time management skills, perhaps mentorship from a fellow teacher?
5.3.3. Did Ms. Sinclair thoroughly explain the expectation to her students on day one?
5.3.4. Has Ms. Sinclair specifically addressed etiquette and how the rules apply to her class?
5.3.5. Has Ms. Sinclair thought about assigning discussion prompts outside of class time to encourage preparation for class discussions?
5.3.6. What types of discussion prompts is Ms. Sinclair employing?
5.3.7. What technological tools (if any) has Ms. Sinclair employed in her course?